Rare Yellow Grosbeak Sighting Sparks Birdwatching Frenzy

I was sitting on my back porch enjoying the nice weather over the weekend. A wooded area backs up to my property, so I decided to do a little birdwatching. The first day of spring is not until March 20, but from the looks of the birds in my backyard, you would think it's already arrived.

I spotted six red birds, four bluejays, and five sparrows, and thought, wouldn't I be lucky if I could spot a yellow grosbeak, a rare bird typically found in Mexico in my backyard? Well, guess what? A lady in Berryville, Arkansas has seen one, and social media has been buzzing about it for several days.

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The Yellow Grosbeak

That's right, the yellow grosbeak has been spotted in rural Northwest Arkansas at a family ranch. These birds have never been seen in Arkansas and are extremely rare in other parts of the United States.

According to 5NEWS, Shianne Hunnicut spotted the yellow grosbeak last Wednesday near a bird feeder at Berryville Ranch and immediately knew it wasn't native to Arkansas. She posted a photo of the bird on a birding group's Facebook page to share her experience with other bird watchers. Word spread quickly of her rare find and avid bird watchers from several states as far away as Florida have been traveling to Arkansas and Berryville Ranch hoping to get a glimpse of this rare bird.

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Native to Mexico

The yellow grosbeak is what bird enthusiasts call a "life bird" a once-in-a-lifetime experience unless you plan on traveling to western Mexico to see them, their place of habitat, typically in the mountains and tropical forests. The yellow grosbeak feeds off mainly fruit trees in the brushy woodlands. The female bird is slightly larger than the male with a larger bill, see how to identify a male or a female here.

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If you would love to visit the Beryville Ranch you can set up an appointment for viewing by calling the ranch at 417-349-2317.